Santo Domingo. – The Dominican Society of Cardiology commemorated the World Heart Day with a walk and a call for citizens to lead a healthy life.
Dr. Rosa Cueto, president of the entity, assured that a healthy life guarantees the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which are the leading cause of death worldwide.
He motivated the population to exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet to reduce risk factors.
The walk, called “An Impulse for your Heart”, It left from the Eugenio María de Hostos Park in the capital and was part of the commemorative activities for World Heart Day.
During the event, Dr. Cueto addressed a few words to the attendees, highlighting the importance of the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and the role of the Dominican Society of Cardiology in promoting heart health.
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The day included a Zumba session, where attendees enjoyed a dynamic and fun activity to promote physical activity.
The main objective of this event is to motivate the community to “use the heart to act” and prevent cardiovascular diseases, aligned with this year’s motto.
Data from the Dominican Society of Cardiology indicate that CVDs are the main cause of deaths, representing around 39 percent of total deaths.
The majority of the Dominican population continues to follow harmful lifestyle patterns that contribute to an increase in the incidence of diseases, characterized by high meat consumption, smoking and alcoholism, as well as low levels of physical activity.
Studies carried out in the country show that 81% of cardiovascular events occur in people who are hypertensive, suffer from dyslipidemia, smoke and have a history of cardiovascular disease, and 84% in people who are also diabetic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that CVD remains the leading cause of death globally, with around 20 million deaths annually from this cause.
This represents 32 percent of all deaths, of which 85 percent are due to myocardial infarctions and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA).
In industrialized and low- and middle-income countries, CVDs have surpassed infectious diseases as the leading cause of death.
These diseases disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries: more than three-quarters of deaths occur in these nations.
